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| Commission hears appeal |
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| Composting controversy |
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 | | Photo by Holly M. Gill | | Attorney Steve Abel and client Greg Williams, at left, consult during hearing, while appelant Mike Goss, at right, and attorney Bruce White testify. |
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By Holly M. Gill
A controversial composting operation drew mixed testimony from over a dozen people at a hearing before the Jefferson County Commission June 24.
Partners Greg Williams, Don Boyle, Ryan Boyle, Harold Siegenhagen and Rob Galyen, of High Desert Organix, have proposed a commercial composting operation on 40 acres northeast of Madras.
"The waste is here," said Williams, the group's managing member. "We cannot continue to ignore it."
The facility, which would be located between Loucks Road and Cherry Drive and surrounded by a six-foot fence, would have five compost piles for hay and wood chips, storage bunkers, three blend piles, two stormwater retention ponds, 17 compost windrows, as well as a shop and storage buildings. The Jefferson County Planning Commission granted a conditional use permit for the project in March.
Attorney Bruce White, of Bend, representing a group of neighbors to the project, said they are still not sure what exactly is being proposed.
"At times, this application has been a shell game and we haven't known what was being proposed," he said. "We don't know yet whether they have access."
The proposal for access primarily from Loucks Road was presented at the meeting, but lacked specific coordinates.
White gave the commission a seven-page letter outlining the appelants' position, questioning why the applicants don't wait until they have permission from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. He cited concerns over water contamination, seeds blowing off the property, and impact to roads from trucks, among others.
Elizabeth Druback, eastern region solid waste manager for the DEQ, said that the county's process usually runs parallel to the DEQ's. "It only becomes an issue when someone needs a CUP (conditional use permit)," she said.
Appelant Mike Goss, whose property is adjacent to the proposed site, expressed concern about exposure to heavy metals in the dust, as well as micro-organisms, and water contamination.
"They say they will monitor heavy rain events," Goss said. "I want to know how they are going to do that."
"Everyone here has admitted there could be contamination," he added. "That's not an acceptable risk."
Retired physician Frank Hoffman, who lives on Cherry Lane, was concerned about the composting of manure, "a biologically active substance," he said. "Cattle carry pathogenic bacteria and parasites."
Hoffman said children, people over 50 and people with suppressed immune systems can die when exposed to such pathogens.
Other neighbors, including Dick Porter, Jeri Kollen, Dick Junge, Tom Shaver and Robert Crocker also had concerns about water, roads, seeds and safety.
Porter, who lives "downstream" from the site, on Northeast Dogwood, countered claims that contaminated water cannot move into the aquifer which is the source of his well water. "I know from personal experience this is not true," he said, noting that when North Unit Irrigation District treated the canal with chemicals, he could taste chemicals in his tap water.
"The very chemicals showed up in my well," he said. "If it's impenetrable, it should not be getting into my well."
Crocker, whose family has farmed on adjoining property on Darrar Drive since 1955, said, "This is the first time in all that time we've needed to hire legal counsel."
"I feel that I will have increased operating costs because of weed seed," Crocker said. "I could lose the sale of a field. If my land value is decreased, it could make borrowing harder."
The potential composting of dead animals alarmed some of those appealing the operation. Druback said the permit would allow for composting of meat waste, but the operation would be required to meet stricter performance standards.
Supporting the proposal were Les Gilmore, of Cenex Harvest States, and Mike Weber, managing partner of Central Oregon Seeds Inc.
"This area's established itself as the number one carrot seed growing place in the world, with gross annual sales of $22 million," he said. "A composting facility is an absolute necessity."
Weber considers the site the best location, and disputed the idea that the seed would be carried away by wind. "For a long time, we put our carrot screenings in long windrows to decompose," he said. "They didn't blow."
Neighbor Ron Vincent, who lives on Loucks Road and farms next to the property, said that he and his father support the proposal. "Everybody loves to live in the country with animals," noting that animals create waste that could be composted.
Steve Abel, of Portland, attorney for High Desert Organix, explained that if there is excess water, it will collect in ponds. "They'll need that water, and they'll use it back in production."
Odor concerns will be addressed by maintaining the piles in an aerobic condition, Abel pointed out. "I don't think it's going to be an issue."
Noise will be infrequent, and only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., he said, adding that the nearest residence is over one-half mile away.
The commission closed the public hearing, but left the record open for two weeks for further comment and rebuttal, and set deliberations for Wednesday, July 22, at 2 p.m.
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